


Translation

by honestgrins



Series: To Rely on the Kindness of Strangers [37]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Day Five - Crossovers/Fusions, F/M, klarolineauweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-06-02 13:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6567613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Have you ever watched Scorpion? Because a Walter/Paige Klaroline AU would probably kill me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Translation

He didn't connect well with others, none of his family did. The Mikaelsons were all certified geniuses: Elijah was a human calculator, Rebekah the mechanical prodigy, and Kol was the world's most annoying and arrogant behaviorist. Klaus himself had an IQ of 197, the highest ever recorded. With their elevated abilities, it was understood that they remain together, always and forever.

The last thing he expected was to get pulled back into the US government's tangled web of cyber-intelligence. Unfortunately, Marcel Gerard with Homeland Security approached Klaus and his siblings about working a case involving his old software taking out communications for all planes in flight around LAX. Their own agencies couldn't solve the tragedy that would befall the planes in the air and heavily populated area below, and they needed the smartest people in the world to help.

With all communications signals jammed, Klaus needed to find a server that wouldn't have been affected. Luckily, his crappy IT job had him do a reset at a diner earlier that day. Having argued with Marcel over autonomy to make his own decisions without the suits breathing down his neck, Klaus started barking orders to clear the diner.

"Hey," a woman called out, distracting him. "You can't just-"

"There are approximately nine thousand, four hundred lives in planes flying overhead," he interrupted. "If any one of them crash, they could take out four square-blocks. Right now, there is a possibility of all those planes crashing, causing immediate and devastating damage to the city. I can just because I need to stop that from happening."

She looked ready to argue, only to look back to the little boy sitting at the counter. "Come on, Will," she said, walking away from Klaus. "We need to go."

"Nope," her boss cried out, tossing her the keys. He sidled up to her, eyeing the men with badges still clearing the diner. "I need you to lock up," he whispered. "My documentation might not make me a friendly to these government workers."

The woman, clearly a waitress, just shook her head. "Fine," she sighed. She moved toward her son, who was moving around the salt shakers in front of him. Crouching to meet his eyes, she spoke softly. "Will, baby. We're going to be okay."

Klaus watched, taking notice of the boy's apparent listless demeanor. The woman looked discouraged, and he felt the oddest twinge in his chest. He needed to focus on the task at hand, though.

He could only breathe for a moment when he sent Rebekah and Kol to the airport to establish communication. Elijah was working out statistics for their various courses of actions, hoping to find the most likely odds for a successful mission. His siblings otherwise occupied, his gaze was drawn to the little boy still playing with salt shakers at the counter.

Moving closer, he noticed the blonde stiffen next to her son. "I'm sorry for snapping earlier," she said, meeting his eyes. "This is a little out of the ordinary."

"I should hope not," Klaus answered automatically.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Literal," she snapped. Squeezing her eyes shut, she released an annoyed breath. "Sorry, again."

"I don't mind, and it's Klaus," he said with a shrug, more focused on the salt shakers in front of the boy. "Your name is Will?"

"Hey," she perked up, unsure about some stranger making small talk with her son.

"And you're Caroline," Klaus pointed out, gesturing to the name tag still pinned to her chest. He lingered only a minute, but it was enough for her to raise an eyebrow. "Did you know Will here is a genius?"

She seemed struck, opening her mouth to speak even when no words came out. Eventually, she found her voice again. "I- I mean, I know he's special," she said, not sure what he was getting at. Will had tested normally, even when his teachers all commented on his marked disinterest in school and the other students. She ran her fingers through his hair affectionately. "He really only talks with me, and even then, he prefers to be in his own little world. I didn't think it was a problem as long as he was happy."

Understanding the disconnect between mother and child, Klaus tried to be gentle and avoid the condescending tone he was often accused of using. "Your son is mentally enabled, thinking on a much higher plane than likely anyone in his school, teachers included," he explained. "These salt shakers for example. You say he's in his own world, and you don't have to understand how he's playing to know that he is."

"Okay," Caroline said, drawing the word out in her confusion. "What's your point? Am I doing something wrong?" She sat up, ready to fight tooth and nail to defend her family. "He is everything to me, and I work very hard to make sure he is happy and cared for and knows that he is loved, and-"

"I didn't mean to offend," Klaus said, raising his hands. Looking back to the boy, he leaned on the counter. "May I play?"

Will narrowed his eyes as Klaus moved one salt shaker slightly, only to cock his head and make the next move. Caroline watched in awe as her son, while still nonverbal, interacted with a stranger. She had tried moving the salt shakers before, only to get pushed away.

"Elijah," Klaus called his brother over. "Take my place, will you? You'll enjoy this."

"What's happening," Caroline asked as Klaus moved to stand next to her.

"Ah," Elijah said, smiling wide as he, too, moved a salt shaker.

"Your son is five moves from pulling checkmate on a chess grandmaster," Klaus whispered, leaning in a bit closer than necessary. "Your son is special, but I believe the term 'mentally enabled' is more appropriate."

Against all odds perfectly calculated by Elijah, Rebekah and Kol managed to re-establish the communications network for LAX and safely land the planes. Surprising everyone, it was actually Caroline who talked one pilot through a particularly dangerous maneuver. She explained it away as being a people person, and one prone to anxiety at that. Managing stress was second nature for a single mom.

As Marcel and his men started to clean up their operation, Klaus found he didn't want to leave Caroline and the boy behind. "If you'd like, you and Will could join us for dinner," he offered, smiling as the boy seemed to brighten up. "We didn't always have people around who understood us growing up, and we want to make sure Will has that extra support."

"I don't know," Caroline wavered, looking at Will. "It's very kind of you to offer."

"Entirely selfish, I assure you," Klaus implored. "Elijah enjoys chess, and I'm sure Will could give Kol a run for his money on some of those incessant video games."

"I should stay, clean up the diner a bit before work tomorrow."

Klaus frowned. He wasn't sure if he was dissatisfied because of the concept of rejection, or that it was specifically this woman. Running through the options, a new thought occurred to him. "Quit the diner," he said. "We can hire you. You did a great job today, one that none of us would have managed with the same calm order."

"You're this amazing team and family," Caroline acknowledged, "but I'm not sure I want Will in this environment. He's just a kid."

"You'd be part of it, too," Klaus said softly. Recognizing her need for comfort, he reached for her hand.

Shaking her head, Caroline giggled a little hysterically. "I definitely don't belong here," she admitted.

"I think you're wrong about that," Klaus replied, unsure where his conviction came from.

Pursing her lips, she was clearly considering it. "Just dinner," she finally answered. "Maybe I'll let you make that job offer again after dessert."

Smirking, Klaus led them out of the diner, only for Caroline to whirl around and wave a finger in his face. "And I may not be a genius, but I'm still too smart to be seduced by you."

"Well, that's why I like you," he said, a wide grin overtaking his face.


End file.
